VII-The Chariot

I used to hate this card. But now I kindof see his point. Best I can say is everything in its own time and in its own place.

Lucky number Seven is the fly in your chardonnay, the pooper at the party, the boss at your office door. Which is kind of funny when you think about it….is the Charioteer a healthy bit of luck showing up in dowdy clothes? Have you maybe been wandering along in good-times-ville, just allowing things to be whatever they want to be instead of driving the damn bus where you need it to go? Hmm? Have you?

Because when this guy turns up at your door, the answer is probably….yes.

When he turns up, you have to stop, drop, and give a good long look at where you have been letting things just roll along, either by falling into selfishness, or wallowing in duty. By now, you must have come to a certain understanding that you are a being of immense power. With a clear mind and a steady, loving heart, you can do practically anything. Perhaps everything. But with that comes a great responsibility.

You have to know that.

If you just take your power and put it in your pocket, it does no good to anybody. If you wield it wildly and for any random desire, it will only create harm and ultimately discord. If you only use it in service to any and all who ask, you will be a shell in no amount of time. As spiritual humans on a journey of enlightenment, you have to come to a place where you not only see, but value, the application of discipline, steadiness, boundaries and a good, firm hand. And those usually aren’t the things we think of when we discover exactly how powerful we can be.

The first thing we experience is freedom. Oh, my gods, I had no idea how liberating power could be. Right? When you get that manifestation is literally right at your fingertips, you tend to get a little crazy with it. Like the first time you figured out that drunk was fun. But much like that drunk, waving yourself wildly around comes with a price. As you mature, you start to understand that a little moderation goes a long way. The power of liberation, when applied appropriately, creates a series of small navigations that steer you in a precise and purposeful direction.

A bit, I imagine, like steering a chariot with two horses.

The second thing we experience is responsibility. Once it becomes understood that you have a certain level of mastery, you become subject to the curse of capability. And, on some level, you understand that not everybody gets here. You see that you are more able to help, to steer, to support, and therefore, the call to do so becomes very intense. I find that at this point, you get a good hard look at your dharma in a way that had not shown itself before. It can feel consuming, and many seekers find themselves in the backseat of the needs of others, quickly all used up. Applied cautiously and with intent, however, the power of service steers you towards a life of spiritual fulfillment.

This card is a reminder that you are in service to yourself and to others and that you must carefully apply all of the aspects of discipline to both so that they remain in balance. In this way, you move forward correctly on the path of enlightenment.

As a being of duality coming into the flow of unity, you have to know how to be both at the same time. You have to know and feel when it is we-are-one time, and when it is we-are-one-acting-as-two time, which is confusing as shit but utterly necessary. They don’t fucking tell you that when you are The Fool; If they did, I’m not sure how many of us would go merrily merrily down the way. But if you are here, it is too damn late and you had better get a hold of shit before it goes really sideways. The ability to hold two conflicting understandings in your head is not only getting a firm grasp on the nature of reality, but also a source of big power in the human world.

Think about it. Just on a human level. If you consistently cultivated the ability to hear and understand what should be in conflict as simply being in duality, you would never be paralyzed about what to do. Because in the end, you would be able to see where harmony exists and how to navigate into that particular slip stream. Your road would literally never be blocked.